The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-09-10
PRICKING A BLADDER.
Correspondent Lets in Little Light on
the Real Value Of the Chinese Grant.

Special TO the Indianapolis Journal.
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. "a correspondent
writing to the Bulletin, under date of Shanghai,
Aug "a. says: s'The most contradictory ru-
concerning Count Mitkiewicz and shis
syndicate prevail here The North China Daily
News gives the establishment OF the new bank
the fullest credit, but there are those who hold
that this journal has been influenced to write
it does. One thing is certain-the syndicate
represented by Count Mitkiewicz has obtained
the contract for the establishment of telephone
lines in the Chinese treaty. But what does this
amount to2 Absolutely nothing, far as
The of telephones in China will be
very small for many years to come. Even in
the capital the demand for anything of the
kind is insignifcantly small, and granting even
that this concession includes, which it
probably does not, the right of open
ing telegraphic communication between the
various centers of Chinese commerce, the
Even in this present year telegraph poles have
been uprooted and wires cut because these
Western innovations believed to obstruct
the free passage of the "feng shut wind and
water spirits" and thus bring misfortune upon
the land. 1t may just be possible that the gov
ernment telegraph between a few of the largest
cities will escape the unreasonine dislike of the
people. But even in this case it will require the
constant watchfulness of large body of troops
to keep the line intact China is not so walked
up as the articles of concession granted to the
new corporation would seem TO indicate. Count
MItkiewicz has been laborng for two years,
backed by capital fully adequate to carry al
most gigantic schemes, but it is not to be sup
posed that this very thing has not been attempt
ed often enough before. Nor does it seem prob
able that the Chinese authorities are 80 very
fond of the United States that they should
in this instance have become thoroughly
Americanized. And what of the railroad grant2
So far as the line betweensTentsin and Pekin is
concerned, It's construction has been passed into
French hands. That nation has representatives
here offering to build the lire 10 per cheaper
than all other competitors. 1t is utterly ridic-
ulous to speak glibly of a railroad between Can
ton and Pekin. The natural obstacles in the
way of such an enterprise are simply enormous,
not to speak of the fact that the inhabitants of
south Fuhkien and northern Kwang Tung, two
of the most important seaboard provinces are
notoriously disaffected and always opposed to
government innovations Scores of years have
still to pass before such scheme could boast
of even the possibility of success Much more
likely to success would be a railroad
between the capital and some me of the
lishment of a line running to Wuh-
ahaso has long been projected Yet in
this case it must not be forgotten that these
selfsane towns were once the stronghold of
Taeping rebels and far from being loyal
centers today. In establishing railways in this
country there these three great obstacles to
overcome first, the broken nature of the coun-
try to be trayersed; second the hatred OF foreign
innovations, and third, the impossibility of
forcing the people to work in harmony with the
government. We told finally" says the
respondent, that the concessions made to the
American syndicate include the minting of
coin, perhaps the issuing of new bank notes,
ard the right to discover and work mines
throughout the empire. As for the first matter
the is palpably false Nothing of
the kind can possibly be true. The
government has its own mint, and has hitherto
persistently refused to allow any other nation to
interest itself in the matter. Copper cash
the coins current, and the only coins demanded
by traffic in the interior. These are minted in
Pekin under government supervision, and it is
very far from being even probable that the syn
dicate of Count Mitkiewicz will get hold of this
coinage; and doubt very much whether it
would pay if they did. With regard the
mines, only trust that the pretensions
of the Count are founded on fact. China's min
eral wealth is intellectually large. and only
small portion has been utilized heretofore Still,
foreign residents in this country completely dis
credit the Counts statements in this connection.
Nor can believe that the government would
ever agree to such concessions.